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Sunday, September 23, 2012

The Battle Royale: Fresh V. Frozen

One of my friends recently asked me what my take on frozen veggies was- are they nutrient-deprived? Does it defeat the purpose of eating vegetables from frozen packaging? So, Tiny Tummy here to give my take on the battle between fresh and frozen!

Personally, I don't see a problem with using frozen vegetables- or fruits, meats, breads, etc. for that matter. What's important is to make sure everything is thawed properly! Vegetables and fruit, if frozen properly, actually retain their nutrients! The problem arises when they are thawed improperly (ie: if you over-microwave your veggies, chances are, you're losing some of the nutrients.) Also, I'm not sure I would serve thawed frozen vegetables as a crudite platter (duh!); however, sometimes, frozen vegetables may even be more nutritious than their fresh friends! When veggies are picked to be frozen, they are actually locked in a nutrient-dense phase, whereas some fresh veggies lose their nutrients in the transportation process from farm to grocery store to stove!

One major caution though: Be careful to read the packaging: as far as frozen fruits are concerned, some have added sugars, which you DEFINITELY want to stay away from. Also, taste wise, I find fresh fruit has quite a different taste from its thawed counterpart. If you're cooking with/baking/pureeing said fruit, it shouldn't matter, but if you're popping a handful of berries, you will most likely taste a significance, so while berries may be a bit pricey (especially now that they are not quite in season), I still say it's worth shooting for the fresh guys! And don't buy the vegetables frozen in some sort of ooey gooey sauce- just cause there are veggies tossed in, doesn't make it any healthier than pouring that yucky sauce on anything else!
Basically, if you're eating raw veggies or fruit as a snack, I wouldn't suggest the frozen ones simply based on taste, but to cook with, I see no problem with grabbing a bag of frozen peas or broccoli for convenience and to make sure you have veggies on hand!Pin It